Sharing a frosting recipe seems so basic but I have been dying to share this one with you! In fact, I’m hoping to post all of my favorite basic frosting recipes over the next year or so because I think the frosting makes the cake!

This is one of my favorite homemade frosting recipes: peanut butter frosting. It’s an easy buttercream filled with peanut butter!

There are so many uses for peanut butter frosting: cupcakes, brownies, cookie filling, eating with a spoon…good luck actually using this frosting. Once you get a taste you’re going to want to keep tasting until it’s gone.

One of my besties celebrates her birthday in January and this girl is one after my own heart: she loves chocolate and peanut butter. I made her cupcakes with this easy frosting and everyone LOVED them. I know you will too!

This frosting recipe has just a few ingredients and produces a smooth and creamy peanut butter frosting. It’s perfect for piping or for just frosting; it’s that versatile.

I’ve made a lot of peanut butter frosting recipes over the years and most of them end up thick and chunky and not creamy and smooth like you want a buttercream to be. This one is perfect though; it has all the elements of frosting that I absolutely require!

How to make an easy peanut butter frosting:

Start with softened butter. I like to use unsalted butter.

Peanut butter, of course. I prefer using creamy peanut butter when I’m making frosting, but use a brand you enjoy.

Powdered Sugar, salt, and vanilla are all the other usual frosting ingredients.

My secret frosting ingredient: heavy whipping cream!

I find that adding heaving whipping cream to frosting makes them creamer and smoother than just using milk.

You can add as little or as much heavy whipping cream as you want to get the consistency you want. If you’re frosting with a knife, you might want it thicker, but if you’re planning to pipe the frosting it needs to be thinner and smoother.

I find that using a stand mixer when making frosting makes my life a whole lot easier – it’s less likely I’ll be wearing powdered sugar. My hand mixer makes a huge mess of powdered sugar so if you’re going that route be sure and use a very large bowl.

It’s easiest to mix frosting when the butter is softened. Otherwise it’ll get chunky in your peanut butter and be harder to smooth out.

I added a full 6 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to my frosting and then I turned my mixer up to run pretty fast until it was mixed in. This almost makes a whipped peanut butter frosting!

I know a lot of people want to find a peanut butter frosting without butter and you can totally use this recipe without butter! In place of butter use an equal amount of Crisco shortening or butter flavored shortening. That would make it vegan peanut butter frosting, I believe. Just don’t use oil or coconut oil; you won’t get the same texture.

I wish peanut butter frosting was healthy but it’s not…although there is a ton of protein in there so…maybe we can think it is?

However you serve this peanut butter frosting, be sure to hide the leftovers from yourself!

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This looks soooooooooo delicious

I have been using this Pb icing recipe for decades!!! It is truly the most decadent icing…

Great frosting Dorthy. I make a Dolce De Leche one similar with less heavy cream ( only 1 or 2 tbs. ) and instead of peanut butter add the Mrs Smith caramel sauce , it’s extra thick and great flavor . Then favorite use is to pipe onto brownie cup cakes. But need to hide it when done frosting brownie cupcakes or it disappears too.